Somali National Army Personnel graduate from UK led training in Baidoa‏

English version

the Somali National
the Somali National Army

This month, the Somali National Army celebrated the graduation of a further 98 soldiers from British military training in Baidoa, the capital of Southwest State in Somalia.

The UK has built a training centre in Baidoa, including a state-of-the-art firing range that was opened by Southwest State’s President, Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen, and the UK’s Africa Minister, Andrew Stephenson, on 21 August. Construction of 450 barracks for the Somali army has just started on the same site.

The 16-week training, involving a mix of theory and practical lessons, covered defensive positions, vehicle check points, dealing with improvised explosive devices, first aid, safe weapon handling and leadership.

The UK training has already shown its value. Attacks in Baidoa have fallen since the Somali army built defensive positions around the city as part of their course, and some of those on the course used their new skills in a successful attack against Al Shabaab in the area of Daynunay this month.